Originally built in the mid-1960s, Bristol Dragway lies behind the speedway and between two mountains that enhance the blended roar of nitro-powered engines and the sold-out crowds of serious race fans. It is the blending of these natural acoustics that led to the track’s nickname as “Thunder Valley”. Rumor has it that the original drawings for the stadium-like facility were sketched on brown paper bags. Moreover, as a versatile multi-use venue, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway is a frequent host of major auto races, concerts, and pro football games. One thing is for certain when you travel to the Tri-Cities area for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, you know you will feel welcomed and the unparalleled sports experience will surely exceed your expectations.
The iconic BMS coliseum may be best known for “America’s Night Race”, which was one of the first racetracks on the NASCAR Cup circuit to illuminate the upper-division of stock car racing. Not only is being at the Bristol facility an incredible experience on its own, its one of racing’s most kid-friendly raceways. All kids 12 and under are invited to join the Bristol Kids Club for free to join in the Speedway’s fun. Whether it is on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat or Periscope, Bristol track officials are highly engaged with the racing community and boasts an email-marketing fan base of over one-quarter of a million sports fans. Bristol Dragway is a 3,800-foot drag strip with 700 feet of concrete at 1475 feet of elevation that is always challenging the top NHRA teams.
Jerry Savoie Survives Engine Failure for PSM Win at Bristol
Like many NHRA drag racers, Jerry Savoie doesn’t have a lot of extra time on his hands. A Louisiana entrepreneur, Savoie stepped away from racing for almost three decades before returning to the circuit with his White Alligator Racing (WAR) racing team. Trick-Tools, a major supplier of high performance metal fabrication tools, teamed up with WAR Suzuki for the 2022 NHRA championship and won at the 2022 Gatornationals with teammate Karen Stofer.
The 63-year old alligator farmer, who did not start drag racing motorcycles until age 52, posted elimination wins over Eddie Krawiec, Joey Gladstone, and Angie Smith before the engine in his White Alligator Racing Suzuki let go. The team replaced the Suzuki’s engine in a little over a half an hour for Savoie to face off against Angelle Sampey. Both racers left the tree early but Sampey’s -.052 reaction time handed Savoie his first win Pro Stock Motorcycle in two years.
Aaron Stanfield Punches It to Defeat Enders in Pro Stock
Erica Enders entered Sunday’s elimination rounds having won four of the last six NHRA nationals in Pro Stock but her teammate at Elite Motorsports was the Number One qualifier at Thunder Valley. Driving the Janac Brothers Camaro, Stanfield defeated Baron Stroupe, Fernando Cuadra Jr, and Kyle Koretsky enroute to a final round matchup with Enders. With family ties to East Tennessee, Aaron’s father and grandfather both raced at Thunder Valley.
Five-time Pro Stock World Champion Greg Anderson set a new Thunder Valley record with a 6.613-second ET but was eliminated in round two. In the Final, the Elite Motorsports teammates were dead even off the tree before Stanfield shook the tires and let off the pedal around the 200-foot mark. That’s about the same time Enders engine blew filling the cockpit of her bright red Camaro with dense smoke. Stanfield regained his momentum for an unexpected second win for 2022.
Photo courtesy of WAR Facebook 2019 post by Tim Haley
UP COMING:
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action June 23-26 with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
